1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in the reception of facsimile messages by computing devices that are capable of executing facsimile software like personal computers (PC""s) for example, and more particularly pertains to new standalone, store and forward facsimile apparatus wherein facsimile messages may be received by the apparatus during times that the communication application software of the PC is not in use.
2. Description of Related Art
Standalone facsimile modems that are utilized in connection with PCs that contain facsimile application programs to receive and send facsimiles employ proprietary facsimile application software in the PC and proprietary software in the facsimile modem to interface with the application software. Such an arrangement has been unsatisfactory in that the standalone facsimile modem is limited in its use with the specific proprietary application software for which it is designed and cannot be universally used with all facsimile application software. Although a universal application standalone facsimile modem apparatus is a highly desired goal, such goal has not been obtained until the present invention.
The store and forward facsimile feature incorporated into a standalone telephone answering machine automatically interfaces with all facsimile application software on the market today. The store and forward feature simulates an incoming ring signal to initiate operation of the facsimile application software. Uploading of facsimile messages from the standalone telephone answering machine is initiated by the user, by the push of a button. Facsimile messages are received and stored to the memory of the telephone answering machine during the time that the facsimile application software is not in use, for example when the computing device is shut-off or is busy with another application.